What do you do with left over drugs?

[OUTexan]

I was putting up drugs at closing time tonight when I noticed we had 3 different manufacturers of ciprofloxacin 250 mg on our shelf. I have also noticed we had 3 bottles of citalopram 20 mg on our shelf (all 1000 count bottles). Some bottles only have a few tablets left while others have just had a few taken out. What do you do when you have this problem? Do you throw away the bottle with a just a few tablets in it? Do you try to give some of each manufacturer to a patient and try to explain? Do you just let it expire?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

If you can figure out a way to convince you distributor to take them back, you start with that. If that doesn't work, ya can save them in hopes that somebody will need a short fill, or maybe will need a few to tide them over until they get refills or something. There are some companies that buy back expired meds, too. I'm sure there are other things you can do with them, too.

 

[OUTexan]

We are able to send back our expired meds and get something back for them. However, if the bottle has less than 10, I don't think we get any money back. I occassionally toss a cheap drug like levothyroxine out if it has just a few tablets left in one manufacturer.

 

[sdn1977]

For something like citalopram or ciprofloxacin where bioavailbility is not an issue, give a pt two brands. Instruct them to use up one & go on to the next until all gone. No problem with giving both brands - its done all the time in hospitals!

For bioavailbilty issue drugs - levothyroxine, etc.....toss or wait to return to your expired recycler & call it a loss. Why did you have that in the first place? If it was used in place of a recalled item (ie when Sandoz had that whole recall) - use the old manuf. up with someone you already switched, then switch them back to your preferred provider.

They're probably due for a scheduled blood test anyway due to the recall - not your problem...but you can use up these old products on the ones you've already had to change, instruct them to wait a week after restarting their new brand, then get the blood test.

Gotta wonder why you are buying citalopram in 1000's - not a very good "turn" - unless you're in a high psych population.

 

[OUTexan]

Citalopram 20 mg is a fast mover at our store. I bet we can use up a 1000 count bottle in a couple of months if not faster.

 

[Phlame217]

We leave them on our shelves until they expire and then they get shipped back to our supplier to do who knows what with, probably incinerated.

 

[rxlynn]

Gotta wonder why you are buying citalopram in 1000's - not a very good "turn" - unless you're in a high psych population.

We are getting them in 1000's at CVS right now. I don't think it's too bright either, but we have no control over what corporate decides is the preferred stock size and manufacturer.

And, if there's anybody at CVS corporate reading this, QUIT changing the preferred NDC so much - I think I have 4 different citaloprams right now, not to mention the metformin in the gigantic 1000 count bottles you just started supplying!

 

[DrugDealer]

We are getting them in 1000's at CVS right now. I don't think it's too bright either, but we have no control over what corporate decides is the preferred stock size and manufacturer.

And, if there's anybody at CVS corporate reading this, QUIT changing the preferred NDC so much - I think I have 4 different citaloprams right now, not to mention the metformin in the gigantic 1000 count bottles you just started supplying!

CVS is sooo bad about this! I think the citalopram and ibuprofen are the worst offenders.

We recently had some lady complain because she had 4 different refills of her citalopram that all looked different. She even brought them in to show us because she was so mad! I was sort of like, umm, why do you even have anything left from each of these refills? But I do understand how it could be frustrating to the patient when it changes EACH month.

Also, you should see the ridiculous bottle of KCl that CVS just sent us. I don't recall the quantity, but the bottle is at least a foot tall!

 

[Doctor M]

CVS is sooo bad about this! I think the citalopram and ibuprofen are the worst offenders.

We recently had some lady complain because she had 4 different refills of her citalopram that all looked different. She even brought them in to show us because she was so mad! I was sort of like, umm, why do you even have anything left from each of these refills? But I do understand how it could be frustrating to the patient when it changes EACH month.

Also, you should see the ridiculous bottle of KCl that CVS just sent us. I don't recall the quantity, but the bottle is at least a foot tall!

It's a 1000 count bottle of potassium cl 20 meq and the thing is heavy!!

 

[alwaystired]

It's a 1000 count bottle of potassium cl 20 meq and the thing is heavy!!

that's what i started thinking when i saw metformin 1000 ct in the last post. the KCl is a huge bottle!

 

[PharmDstudent]

CVSucks!

 

[sdn1977]

you gotta wonder about the corporate mentality when you get down on the line, like pharmacists are....

I assisted with a buyout a few years ago of one corporate pharmacy location by another (both still exist in N CA, but the one that was bought out has a much MUCH lower presence & probably won't be around for a very long time).

Anyway...it was funny the large (& very small sizes) they had - 1000ct tcn - a drug that is used about 1 a month in a teenage acne pt. Waiting for it to expire.

A 3ml timolol 0.5% solution - 3ml!!!! - that just expired.

A 1000ct phenobarbital 92.5mg - hmmmm....in the buyout, the rxs & rx files were bought as well. No one can figure this one out at all after looking at the file history. Again - just waiting for expiration since we can't return it (we didn't buy it from the wholesaler).

I guess its no wonder the corporation is selling off its stores & getting out of the pharmacy business.....

 

[SomeGuy]

Brand Name Drugs: Return to our supplier within ~6 mos of expiry, and I think they get part or all of it back.

Generic Drugs: Reps from the companies come and pick it up, and give you a credit against a direct order most of the time

Narcotics: They cannot be returned. Fill out and submit a form to Health Canada, and they tell you what to do when they feel like it. Apparently they usually just have you destroy it yourself some how, but they call the shots at that point. Not sure if you get a refund/rebate on them on the basis of trust. Lots of pharmacies only bother with the process years every several years, since I don't think there's actually a timeframe requirement.

 

[PharmDstudent]

Brand Name Drugs: Return to our supplier within ~6 mos of expiry, and I think they get part or all of it back.

Generic Drugs: Reps from the companies come and pick it up, and give you a credit against a direct order most of the time

Narcotics: They cannot be returned. Fill out and submit a form to Health Canada, and they tell you what to do when they feel like it. Apparently they usually just have you destroy it yourself some how, but they call the shots at that point. Not sure if you get a refund/rebate on them on the basis of trust. Lots of pharmacies only bother with the process years every several years, since I don't think there's actually a timeframe requirement.

I think you have these mixed up. Drug reps usually work for companies that make brand name medications such as: Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Wyeth.
I've never gotten a freebie from the generic manufacturers.
I love the new Epipen pens with the peanut clips- what a cute association!